reads the room
Senses social cues
To read the room is to sense the collective mood or social dynamics of a group and adjust one's behavior accordingly.
Someone who reads the room notices when tension is rising, when a joke would fall flat, or when people are ready to leave: He read the room and decided not to bring up the divorce.
The failure to read the room—missing obvious social cues—is a common criticism of the oblivious or self-absorbed.
- watchPortable timekeeping device
- eye contactDirect visual connection
- nodBrief head tilt
- empathySharing another's emotions
- hushAbsence of sound
group dynamics · crowd control · nonverbal cues · situational awareness · emotional regulation · diplomacy · smile · observation · social cues · intuition · social context · conflict resolution · active listening · persuasive speaking · listen · adaptability · self-awareness · grin
reads the roomoblivious
Lacking any awareness
tone-deaf · clueless · dense · imperceptive · obtuse
reads the roomtactless
Insensitive in manner
speaks out of turn · inappropriate · indelicate · ham-fisted · clumsy
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